


Loose Lips Launch Ships

by icywind



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Deaf Clint Barton, First Kiss, Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-14
Updated: 2016-08-14
Packaged: 2018-08-08 19:26:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,345
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7770112
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/icywind/pseuds/icywind
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Based on the following prompt: </p><p>“We go to school together and I think you’re cute and apparently you’re also the pizza delivery guy and my little sibling opened the door screaming hey sibling! you know that kid you’re in love with? you really weren’t kidding when you said his jawline could cut steel holy shit-”</p><p>Bucky is the pizza delivery guy. Clint's younger (foster) brother has a big mouth.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Loose Lips Launch Ships

**Author's Note:**

> This was supposed to be a tumbly fic. Supposed to be. It's about three times as long as I anticipated. Oops?
> 
> Words in italics in dialog are in sign as well as spoken verbally.

 

 

Bucky shifted from foot to foot as he waited at the door. If he had to wait any longer, he'd probably end up putting the bag on the floor of the porch. Four pizzas were a lot freaking heavier than the average person thought – and that was without counting the weight of the extra breadsticks. He knew the Zuckermans were home, Mrs. Z had called in the order herself according to Sam, so it was strange that it was taking them so long to answer the door. Steve, who had gotten him this job in the first place, mentioned they were always prompt, always ordered a lot, and always tipped very well. Occasionally inviting him in for a cookie and giving him extras to bring to the guys back at the pizzeria.

The Zuckermans's reputation as one of the nicest families in the town was well earned. They had no children of their own, but had more than a little love and time and money to share so they had several foster children.

He rang the doorbell again, and this time heard a noise in response. Well, a crash and some squealing, which totally counted as a noise (and hopefully not a noise indicating some sort of robbery – how lame would that be on his first day at work?).

The door opened to reveal one of the twins, Pietro. Bucky's sister, Rebecca, shared classes with both of the twins and she'd mentioned Pietro was very nearly going to run half the Middle School teachers into early retirement – Bucky braced himself for the worst.

“Hey Clint! You know that kid you're in love with? You weren't kidding when you said his jawline could cut steel, holy shit!” Pietro shouted back into the house. 

Bucky's cheeks suddenly felt like they were on fire.

He was distracted from the statement a moment later when the source of the squealing made itself known as a naked toddler made a beeline for the door. 

“C'mon, Katie-Kate, give us a break,” Clint Barton said as he ran up behind her and scooped her into his arms, eliciting a delighted laugh from the little girl. He then turned to Pietro. “Now, what did you say? You know I took my ears out to help give Kate her bath. Speak slow, Speedy, so I can read.”

“It's that boy you're in love with, you know, with the steel cutting jawline,” Pietro hooked a finger towards Bucky who looked on helplessly as Clint's face went deathly pale.

Clint Barton thought his jawline could cut steel? 

More importantly, Clint Barton was in love with him?

“Oh thank goodness you caught her,” Mrs. Zuckerman said as she approached. “Clint, honey, what's wrong?” she turned to follow his progress as he retreated back towards the bathroom with Kate, his pace barely under a run. “Pietro, what have I told you about swearing? And oh – hello James.” Her eyes darted from him and then in the direction Clint had vanished, something clicking in her mind. 

“Those must be heavy, please, come inside and set them on the table – you can grab some cookies on your way out,” she swept her arm out to indicate he should enter. “Pietro, fifty cents in the jar and then go fetch your sister. James – please pardon the mess and the naked toddler, it's bath night and we weren't expecting her to make a run for it. Honestly, Kate is usually better behaved than that.”

Bucky moved on autopilot as she led him through the hallway and into the dining room to set his bag down on the table and begin unloading. “It's okay, Ma'am. I've got two sisters, and a little brother as well – I've seen it before.”

“That's right, you do,” she replied, fetching her wallet. They made more small talk as she counted out the money for the pizza as well as a large tip. Pietro returned with Wanda and Barney who must have been home from college. Eventually, Clint emerged, still ashen faced, with a now dressed Kate. He set her up in her high-chair while Mrs. Z was grabbing the cookies for Bucky to take back with him and did his level best to not glance in Bucky's direction at all. 

“Where you goin'?” Barney asked as Clint turned to head towards the stairs. 

“M'not hungry,” Clint half-mumbled in reply.

“Since when? You've been psyched for pizza for the last hour.” Clint gave one of the most helpless looks Bucky had ever seen at his brother and then ran up the stairs while Mrs. Z guided Bucky back to the door.

“Good luck with the new job, James. I imagine we'll be seeing you a lot.”

“Thank you, Ma'am,” Bucky said as the front door closed behind him. Movement in the window off to the side on the second floor caught his eye and he was pretty sure he caught Clint looking at him guiltily as he walked back to his car.

Clint Barton liked him.

That was completely unexpected. He didn't know him all that well, to be honest. He knew he was a foster kid, and that the Zuckermans had had him and his older brother Barney for two – no three - years now. Well, Barney had aged out, but they still kept his room for him while he was putting himself through college. He knew Clint was deaf and that it had been an accident – or maybe something else? - there were several rumors about his life before he'd come to live with the Zuckermans. 

Clint and Bucky were the same age and both fairly gifted in athletics so they had some classes and sports in common, but Clint kept to himself a lot. Well, when he wasn't with Natalia Romanova the foreign exchange student from Russia anyway.

Bucky had always kinda figured the two of them were an item. 

Now he didn't know what to think.

 

~~

 

School could have been awkward the next day. Could have been – and okay maybe was a little bit since Clint seemed to be doing his best to pretend Bucky didn't exist. It shouldn't bother him, they weren't much more than acquaintances really, but it did. 

Bucky found himself watching Clint during their shared classes. Studying him. He was cute, he had to admit, his face not conventionally attractive but well put together with lively eyes under messy blond hair and an easy smile that Bucky couldn't help but think he didn't see often enough. 

He'd never paid a lot of attention to Clint when he signed – there were so few people who knew ASL at school that he didn't often do it – but Bucky found it mesmerizing all the sudden. The way his hands flew and sliced through the air, how animated his face and body became. How had he never noticed how beautiful it made Clint before?

How had he never **noticed CLINT** before?

 

~~

 

The following day Bucky was killing time in the gym with Sam after school, waiting on Steve to finish up at his track practice. They were only half heartedly shooting hoops, Sam slightly more intent on texting his boyfriend (He's not my boyfriend! He is a boy and we are friends!) T'Challa one of the other foreign exchange students in their year, than really committing to the game. It suited Bucky just fine that day, because over on the gymnastic equipment Clint was killing time with Wanda while they waited for Pietro.

They'd been taking turns tumbling and Bucky found it fascinating to watch. One of the rumors about Clint was that he'd been in the circus at one point in his life. Watching him bounce, leap, and spin on the mat Bucky found it easy to believe. Clint moved with such ease and grace that he couldn't look away. 

When Clint hoisted himself onto the rings to do a routine Bucky's mouth went dry. How the fuck was he supposed to concentrate with arms like those on display? 

“Those are some impressive guns,” Sam commented in an overly nonchalant manner as he settled in beside Bucky. It seemed he was done texting T'Challa then. “So what's up?”

“Hmm?”

“What's up with you lately? Been watching Barton all the sudden.”

“Have I?”

Sam's expression was textbook 'bitch, please.' “You got a thing for him?”

“It's nothing,” Bucky deflected. Luckily for him, Pietro burst into the gym and ran over to Clint and Wanda, chattering excitedly about how he'd beaten the fastest seniors in a race. Steve entered not long after and ambled over to Sam and Bucky.

“That kid is something else,” Steve said, with a shake of his head. “Coach Allen is nearly wetting himself in excitement for when he becomes a freshman next year.” 

Bucky let Steve's commentary drone on as white noise in the background while he watched Clint congratulate Pietro then guide the twins off towards the locker rooms so they could change and head home.

 

~~

 

Bucky was really only supposed to do delivery at the pizzeria, but when Sharon called out sick he ended up grabbing a few hours as a server. It was a slower night at least, so he didn't get tripped up at all. At least, until a group of five entered. Among them were Maria Hill, Jasper Sitwell, Darcy Lewis, Natalia, and, of course, Clint. 

It hurt a little that Clint flinched when he saw him. And wouldn't meet Bucky's gaze when he took their order. It was stupid, really, because they'd never really been friends before – why should this bother him now? Maybe he should just go talk to Clint? 

Bucky didn't want to be a creeper, but he couldn't help but keep glancing over at the table every so often. Clint was hunched over and looked uncomfortable despite his friends best efforts to cheer him up. And yeah, that wasn't cool at all. Bucky figured the least he had to do was talk to the guy now – he didn't want to be the source of him feeling miserable all the time. 

He got the chance a little later when Clint excused himself from the table to head outside. Conveniently, Bucky had a break coming to him and he slipped outside as well. Despite doing his best to telegraph that he was approaching, Clint flinched when he says “hey.” 

“Yeah?” Clint replied, voice a little rough “I don't smoke if that's what you're looking for.”

“I don't – I'm not,” Bucky sighed. This had been so much easier in his head. “I just...wanted to say _hello_.” And as he said the word Bucky carefully moved his right hand up to his forehead and pulled it away in a bit of a wave - the sign for hello. He'd been watching videos on Youtube for the last week. At first he didn't really want to admit why he was doing it, lying and telling himself it was just idle curiosity and then well maybe it would be a fun side activity before finally admitting he wanted to impress Clint. 

“Okay....?” Clint drew the word out and raised a skeptical eyebrow.

“And, also, _'I'm sorry,'_ about the other day. Well, the day a few weeks ago now.” He shrugged and let his hands fall to his sides. 

“You don't have to sign, you know. I mean, well, good for you being the big shot apologizing to the outcast dummy that has a crush on him – aren't you brave saying something and taking pity on him by signing.” Clint's voice was bitter, brittle even, and his shoulders hunched up defensively. Bucky knew enough about people that he guessed it was most likely a defense mechanism, the anger. 

“No one thinks you're a dummy.” Well, Bucky figured someone probably had called Clint that enough that it stuck, and didn't that suck because he really, really, wasn't. He'd managed to impress Howard Stark in their Advanced Physics class. Almost no one could do that. Bucky wrung his hands in frustration, searching for what to say. “Okay maybe I was trying to impress you with the sign. But, I really don't mind the crush. I mean-”

“Why would you want to impress me?”

“Because you're pretty fucking cool? You're a great big brother, amazing athlete, smart as hell-”

“Yeah right.”

“Yeah. It is right. I wish,” Bucky huffed out a breath. “I wish I had noticed you earlier. Or admitted I had? I mean,” Bucky ducked his head again. “ _You're amazing. And so smart. And handsome_.” 

“You think I'm handsome?” Clint's voice was still skeptical, but there was the hint of a smile on his lips.

_“Yes.”_

“Bullshit.” There was no anger in his tone, just disbelief. “You're punking me.”

“I'm not. I'd really like to be kissing you though,” and Bucky had not expected that to come out, eyes widening and a blush rushing to his cheeks instantly when it did.

Clint smiled. An honest, wide, beautiful smile. Bucky was smitten in a second. He raised his hands and signed something entirely too fast and complicated for Bucky to understand. 

“I've only been watching videos on Youtube for a week – you gotta give me a break.”

“I said; if you want me, come and kiss me.”

“I can do that.” Bucky stepped closer and leaned in, brushing his lips against Clint's softly at first, catching here and there because both of them were chapped. Clint laughed, a little puff of air against Bucky's mouth, and he pressed harder, parting his lips and licking in past his teeth to taste the pizza and soda he'd been eating.

“Hey man, I'm real happy for your sexual awakening and all, but I'm gonna need you to stop playing loverboy and come back in and help me,” Sam called out from the backdoor. 

“And you owe me money, little bird, I told you it would be okay,” Natalia said from beside him.

Bucky and Clint pulled apart with guilty but elated smiles and turned back towards the pizzeria, hand in hand. 

On Bucky's next delivery to the Zuckermans, Pietro got his own (free) personal pizza.

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> I'm at [redsector-a](http://redsector-a.tumblr.com/) on Tumblr. Whining about writing and reblogging all the things. Well. Many of the things.


End file.
